It took long overdue for Mamelodi Sundowns to release a statement with regards to Hlompo Kekana’s departure at the club after he didn’t feature for the team for months.
Kekana left Sundowns later last year as he looked to continue with his career somewhere else.
The 36-year-old was reportedly offered a position at the club if he was going to retire but it seems like he’s still strong to continue playing.
The former Bafana Bafana midfielder says he wanted a better environment as he was no longer getting a game time as much as he wanted.
“It came a season that we won the league. I already knew that it was time. Simply because I didn’t play as much as I wanted. Simply because I could, and I feel that environment was slowly changing for me,” Kekana told GOAL.
“So, I made a decision then that in the coming year, I’ll shake everybody’s hand and leave. It was a decision I had to take. I wanted a better environment which is what I always strive for. I wanted to be at peace.
“I wanted to be at a place where I’m always myself. That was the time for me to decide, particularly regarding the environment where I felt it was not for me.
“Peace is when a player is happy with everything, the environment. A player has to perform his duties and only worry about your performance as a player,” said the Zebediela-born player.
“The environment has to accommodate you, help you to be at peace, to be comfortable. I felt at the time there wasn’t that and the environment was changing for me. It was time for me to leave and go somewhere else.
“The environment wasn’t what I was used to. Of course, there were so many changes that were taking place. Maybe it was just human nature, but I saw it coming and I knew it was time for me to go.”
